“Your life has changed drastically. I can’t imagine how hard that must be for you.”

Ali clenched his jaws angrily, trying to stop himself from reliving the memory of that fateful day.

“Sir, can you tell me your name?”

“What happened? Am I dead yet?” Ali asked, slipping in and out of consciousness, as the paramedics rushed his gurney inside the ER.

“Sir, you’ve been in a car accident. Don’t worry, we’re gonna take care of you, okay?”

Word traveled fast across the hospital. The young man was driving 50 miles over the speed limit. His car flipped in the air twice before exploding into flames. His surgeons did everything they could to save him and sixteen hours later, they were finally able to give his distraught parents some comforting news, for even though he suffered severe burns, they all agreed it was a miracle he was still alive.

My heart skipped a beat and I held my breath a little bit longer than I should have, I must have gone utterly pale when I looked at him. The scars and burns had distorted his features completely as if they had no intention of ever healing. One of his eyelids was missing, making his right eye bulge out like a juicy grape. His left eye had completely disappeared under an enormous wart-like wound. The boiled skin on his face had black ridges; it looked like the surface of a melting pot, with his nose smashed in, his chin forked and his callous upper lip still horribly bloodcurdling swollen.

“I’m A MONSTER. A hideous monster! They should have let me die.”

“People don’t have that much power, Ali. It’s Allah’s command. He decides how we live and when we die and by His will, our guardian angels either protect us or let go,” I explained after composing myself quickly.

“Guardian angels?” Ali scoffed. “What is this, a Disney movie?”

“Why? Don’t you believe in angels?” I asked.

“I don’t know what I believe in anymore. I believe in Allah, of course, He’s our Creator. But Tooth fairies and guardian angels? I don’t know. Does it even matter?”

“Hey, don’t insult Tooth-fairies. A little birdie tells me you believed in them till you were… like thirteen!” I joked.

“Perhaps human-look-alike fairies don’t exist, but angels do! And of course, it matters. Believing in Allah is the first pillar of faith and believing in angels is the second, that’s a pretty huge deal, don’t you think?”

“Why? It’s not like we worship angels or see them or communicate with them in any way. What difference does it make if we believe in them or not?”

“Ali, I know you’re Muslim, but how exactly did you learn about Islam?” I asked.

“From my parents! And later when I grew up, from the Qur’an,” he replied.

“Yes, and that’s why I know Allah didn’t speak to the Prophet directly except one time, so how was the Qur’an transmitted from the heavens to the Earth?”

“Through Angel Jibreel . I get it now,” Ali finally showed a hint of a smile. “If we didn’t believe in angels, the foundation we’ve built our religion on would collapse.”

“Exactly! It’s not just that. Angels are involved in our daily lives more than you think.”

“Like how?” Ali seemed to be getting less agitated and more comfortable.

“Well, there are many types of angels with different job descriptions. For example, we have two angels on our shoulders like surveillance cameras, recording our every deed. Some angels are like bodyguards; those are the guardian angels. Listen to this:

Some angels are like journalists; they report back to Allah about gatherings for the sake of dhikr (remembrance of Allah ). Others act like the fictional fairy godmothers” I laughed, “They invoke Allah to send blessings our way, to guide us and forgive us.”

“I remember learning about them. There’s also angel Israfil – blower of the Trumpet on Judgment Day. Mikael – angel of rain, Ridwan – guardian of Paradise, Malik – guardian of Hellfire,” Ali added.“Wow, you’re good. Looks like you do believe in angels after all,” I smiled.“We study their names and tasks but never really pause to think about their significance.”

“Who else did we forget to mention? Oh, there’s the scary questioners of the grave, Munkar and Nakir .”

“And Azrael , the angel of death who refuses to take my soul no matter how hard I plead or how recklessly I behave,” Ali confessed. “Ali, were you trying to commit suicide that day? Is that why you were driving like a maniac?” “I wanted to die but I didn’t want to commit suicide and meet my Lord as a non-believer. I guess on some level I am aware there are angels documenting my every move and thought. It makes you vigilant about your actions and usually, helps you stay aware and feel secure. Not that day, though, my anger blinded me too much!”

“Why? What happened?” I asked.

“Mom, I’m sorry you’re unhappy but I love her and I’m gonna marry her and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Ali steamed while flipping the house upside down looking for his cell phone.

Ali was the most sought after bachelor in town. He was tall, young, rich, and strikingly attractive. He always looked impeccably captivating, like he had just walked out of a fashion magazine. Girls were practically throwing themselves at him. His secret nickname was ‘Prince Charming’ and his parents were well aware of that little fact, too. “Mom I promised I would fight the whole world for her; I promised nothing would tear us apart. I know you disagree but it’s my life. Let me live it the way I want.”

“The answer is NO!”

Ali slammed the door behind him and went to see his beloved, who was still refusing to meet him. Her parents asked him to stay away and let her move on with her life.

“My daughter is a proud young woman, she’ll never agree to marry a man without his parents’ approval. It’s over so please leave her alone,” her mom said before closing the door in his face.

Ali left the building feeling crushed, got into his car and drove off at the speed of lightening. This is when he got into a terrible accident and was rushed into surgery about two hours later. The plastic surgeon said it might take years before a reconstruction could make him look half normal again.

“You don’t have to worry about me getting married against your will anymore,” Ali cried. “No woman will ever want to see this hideousness every day.”

His mom drowned in grief and guilt, especially after Ali had sequestered himself in his room and refused to speak to anyone. Until the day he received a letter from his beloved saying:

“When a person puts gold into the fire, it comes out purer than it ever was. And when Allahputs one through huge trials, they come out better and stronger. Aren’t those your words to me, Ali? I am happy now, and I wish you could find happiness one day, too. You promised you’d try….”

“I was trying to be a hero when I said those words to her. But now I realize, maybe she doesn’t need a hero in her life… She needs a monster, and that’s why I’m here,” Ali whispered.

The Ali everyone knew was long gone, for since that day nothing was ever the same again…

Omar, my next client came a little earlier than expected. He ducked quickly behind the couch when he saw Ali leave my office.

How would he ever face him, when everyone knew what happened was all Omar’s fault?

To be continued…

Belief in Allah’s Angels is the third pillar of true faith. What impact did the belief in His Angels have on your life?

Lilly S. Mohsen is the author of 'Live Your Story' and 'The Prophets To Islam' Series for children. Lilly is a part-time therapist and a spiritual speaker. She’s currently pursuing another Diploma in Islamic Psychology and is a contributing writer to a number of educational and Inspirational blogs. For more about Lilly, check out her blog: Notes From The Heart Follow her on Twitter @Lillymohsen and on Instagram @lillymohsen

Yikes! Seriously mind-blowing.
I wish the episodes were posted on more frequently :(
May we all feel the light one day inshallah. Thank you Lulls for letting me feel the hope when I thought I lost it completely.
-Julia

As salaamu alaykum. I love how the series is helping us with pondering over our basics and helping us feel them and relate to them better. I must admit I have never sat down and given this a thought.. about our belief in angels especially (in a good sense, e.g. in a sense how they also show Allah swt’s amazing system or that we are surrounded by these creation and they are protecting us by His command). Your post just made me do that today. Jazakillah Khayr! Makes one fall in love with Allah swt even more and remember Him and be aware of Him at all times. Felt really moved after reading this, made dua for you and this series to help out all those struggling with their emaan. I really hope it reaches out to the believing and non believing and helps all out with understanding our beautiful deen better. The approach used to do this in your storyline is just amazing :)

Subhanallah! I’ve never really given angels as much as a second thought before. You using your story to show us how important the belief in angels is, is incredible. Jazakhillahu khayr, Lilly. I really, really love your stories. They’re very inspirational.

….Seriously I am speechless..dunno if I can describe what I am feeling right now but this is truly ASTONISHING…thanks for reminding us about the little yet so important factors in our lives through this extraordinary method of yours!!
Looking forward to the next one!

Ma shaa Allah, again, you’ve written such a captivating story, like the one you did in Season 1. I like the way you intertwined the mistery in this story with the bold practical messages about Islam. Average muslims may already had known them in theory, but most of us haven’t internalized it yet to be incorporated into our daily thinking and awareness.
Cannot wait to read the next episodes in the upcoming weeks…:)

Anyway, when I tried to click the link to the ‘Episode 1’ above, it was directing to a broken link. After a quick look-around, Alhamdulillah I’ve found the correct address: http://productivemuslim.com/season2-therapists-office-ep1/
Please correct the broken link, so people who start with Ep.2 can get to the Ep.1 as well…

Baarakallah for you and your family. May Allah grant you the best reward for your inspiring writings, aamiin…

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